Floor construction



Nov. 19, 1935. s. SHAW 2,021,434

FLOOR CONSTRUCTION Filed June 12, 1933 INVENTOR ATTORN EY Patented Nov. 19, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to a floor construction.

It is an object of the invention to provide a floor construction having spaced steel members or beams in themselves of sufiicient strength to carry the floor load. Spanning between these members are precast floor blocks. The length of each block is somewhat less than the space between said members, resulting in a space between the ends of the block and the members. The ends of the blocks are formed with depressions or grooves to form a key or interlock when the spaces between the ends of the blocks and the steel sup-porting member are filled with concrete, lime plaster of Paris, or other material which solidifies from a plastic or fluid state. The vertical reaction of the blocks instead of being transmitted directly to the steel supports, as heretofore, is transmitted through the filling material. I My construction is particularly advantageous in that it can be used where the floor supports are relatively far apart.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent upon further study of the description and drawing, in which:

1 is a perspective View of a portion of a liter, and

Fig. 2 is a perspective view to an enlarged scale of a portion of the floor at a support.

The supports consist of steel floor beams 3 which are preferably rolled sections, or they may be of a built up type as shown at t. The sup ports have suflicient strength in themselves to carry the floor load. Other types of steel supports having suflicient strength in themselves may be used.

Spanning between the steel supports are precast blocks 5. These blocks can be made of various materials, preferably masonry, such as concrete, terra cotta or gypsum. They may be reinforced as with steel rods 8 and I2. They may be solid, or hollow as shown. Blocks 5 are shorter than the distance between the supporting members, giving rise to a space into which the filler 6 can be poured. The ends of blocks 5 are undercut as at I to give the filler a keying action, for keying a block to the support when the filler sets or hardens. The filler can be of concrete, cement or lime mortar, gypsum or other material which hardens from a fluid condition.

My preferred form of support is an I beam section whether rolled solid as at 3 or built up as at 4. The undercut or groove 1 is so formed as to leave a space around the bottom flange of the beam for the filler to pass by, the shape of the undercut being such that only a minimum of filler 6 will be: required.

Where hollow blocks are used, they are provided with diagonal webs 9, to give the blocks strength as an arch or truss. The block will act 5 as a truss if the material of the lower chord has sufficient tensile strength in itself or is reinforced with rods l2. A vertical web or hanger Hi is also provided to reduce the span of the lower chord l I. Lower chord I I if properly rubbed or painted 10 can act directly as a ceiling, without the addition of plaster, it being noted that the bottom of said chord comes below the bottom of the supporting beam. Hanger Hi joins upper chord l5 between the upper ends of the oppositely in- 5 clined diagonals 9.

In systems. heretofore proposed, the supports are spaced relatively close together, but with my system relatively wide spacing of the supporting beams may be used.

' In setting up the floor after the steel beams have been erected, the blocks 5 are set on forms l3 which may be supported from below by members M (as shown) or by other suitable framing or they may be hung from beams 3. Filler 6 is then poured into thespace above form [3 and between the end of blocks 5 and floor beam 3. When the filler ii has set or hardened, blocks 5 are keyed to the floor beams.

While my construction has been described in connection with. a floor, I wish it to be understood that the claims are intended to cover such a construction when used as a roof, platform or deck or in other similar situations.

I claim:-

1. A floor construction comprising spaced structural steel supports having upper and lower flanges. of steel, said supports of sufiicient strength in themselves to carry the floor loads, precast floor blocks each extending between a pair of said supports but coming just short of said supports and leaving a space thereby between the ends of the blocks and the supporting members, the ends of said blocks adjacent the lower flanges of said supports being formed with substantially U-shaped keyways, and a filler material hardened in said space from a fluid state filling said space and transmitting the vertical reaction of said blocks to the supports.

'2. A floor construction comprising spaced structural steel supports, said supports in themselves having sufiicient strength to carry the floor loads, preformed blocks extending between adjacent supports, but with the portion opposite the supports of less length than the clear distance between the supports, leaving a space between the ends of the blocks and the supports, and a filler hardened in said space from a fluid state filling said space, said space being just sufficient to permit the insertion of the blocks between the supports, said filler when hardened transmitting the vertical reaction-of the blocks to the supports by engaging the blocks and the supports.

3. A floor construction comprising spaced structural steel supports having upper and lower flanges of steel, said supports in themselves having suflicient strength to carry the floor loads, preformed blocks extending between adjacent supports, with the portion opposite the supports less in length than the clear distance between the flanges of adjacent supports, leaving a space thereby, the ends of said blocks opposite the supports being formed substantially to conform to the shape of the supports and a masonry filler hardened in said space from a fluid state filling said space, said filler transmitting the vertical load of the blocks to the supports.

4. A floor construction comprising, spaced structural steel supports having top and bottom flanges, said supports in themselves having sufficient strength to carry the floor loads, preformed blocks extending between adjacent supports but with the portion opposite the supports less in length than the clear distance between the flanges of adjacent supports, leaving a space between the ends of the blocks and the supports, and a filler hardened from a fluid state in said space transmitting the reaction of the blocks to the supports by engaging the blocks and the supports.

5. A floor construction comprising structural steel supporting members in themselves of sufficient strength to carry the floor loads, said members being spaced relatively far apart, hollow preformed blocks having. an upper and a lower chord extending between adjacent members, said blocks coming short of the members leaving a space between the ends of the blocks and the members, and a filler hardened from a plastic state in said space, the vertical reaction of the blocks being transmitted to the filler material which in turn transmits said reaction to the members, said blocks being of relatively shallow depth to their span and formed with diagonal webs extending between the chords to give them the requisite strength to carry the floor load between members, said webs being inclined in opposite directions with their upper ends toward each other, said blocks having in addition, a. substantially vertical web or hanger extending between the chords, the upper end of the hanger coming between the upper ends of the diagonal webs.

6. A floor construction comprising. spaced supporting members of sufiicient strength in themselves to carry the floor loads, said members being of structural steel and formed with a web, an upper and a lower flange, preformed blocks each extending between a pair of said members, but without contacting with their flanges, the ends of said blocks adjacent said members being formed with grooves opposite the lower flanges of the members, said grooves being substantially U-shaped with the legs of the U turned horizontally, the upper leg of the U being located higher than the lower flange and the lower leg of the U being located lower than the lower flange, and a filler material, hardened in the space between the blocks and said members, from a fluid state, said filler keying the blocks to the lower flanges and transmitting the load from the blocks to the lower flanges.

'7. A floor construction comprising spaced sup porting members of sufficient strength in themselves to carry the floor loads, preformed floor blocks each extending between a pair of said members but with the portion opposite the supporting members of less length than the clear distance between said members, leaving a space between the ends of the blocks and the members, and a filler material hardened in said space from a plastic state, the ends of the blocks transmitting the vertical reaction'of the blocks to the filler material which in turn transmits said reaction to the members.

SAUL SHAW. 

